Abstract - Vertebrate fossils recovered from sites nearby the
Botucaraí Hill and Candelária (Caturrita Formation) depict a diverse Late
Triassic tetrapod fauna from south Brazil. These records are of key importance
to the biostratigraphy of the upper sections of the Rosario do Sul Group. A
lithological and biostratigraphic survey on the main fossil localities of the
Botucaraí Hill area confirms the occurrence of the lower Hyperodapedon
and the upper Riograndia Assemblage Zones in the region, the latter
yielding early saurischians. In this paper, three incomplete dinosaur specimens,
an isolated sacral vertebra, an articulated left pubis–ischium and an isolated
right ischium, from the ‘Botucaraí Hill’ site are described. A comparative
survey suggests that these specimens have sauropodomorph affinities, but
probably more primitive than typical ‘prosauropods’ from the Norian-Early
Jurassic. Regardless of the phylogenetic position of Guaibasaurus as
theropod or sauropodomorph, their occurrence in the Caturrita Formation, which
also yielded ‘core prosauropods’ from the Santa Maria region, suggests either
the survival of early members of the clade with more derived ‘prosauropods’ or
that heterochronous faunas are sampled from that stratigraphic unit.

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About Me

My name is Bill Parker and I am a paleontologist in northeastern Arizona. While my day job mainly involves roaming the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park picking up bit after bit of phytosaur scrap (and finding some good stuff in-between), thus my main focus is the paleontology of the Triassic Period. However, I also have a very strong interest in Civil War history, and am a direct descendent of veterans who fought on both sides. Note: This is a personal site and all posts are my own opinions and do not represent the opinions of the National Park Service.